What is Campylobacter?

Adair Hoover,
Home & Garden Information Center

Did
you know that the cost of illness from foodborne pathogens in the United States
is more than $12.7 billion annually? The combined fact that these illnesses can
sometimes cause long term health problems and loss of life should be a
staggering reminder that there is no such thing as being too conscientious about
safe food handling.

Recent
data from the CDC and a comprehensive study from researchers at the University
of Florida confirm that the bacterium Campylobacter
is one of the most common causes of diarrheal illness in the United States. The
number of sicknesses caused by Campylobacter
increased in 2012. This bacterium, while not as well-known as Salmonella or E. coli, actually tops
the list and poultry contaminated with Campylobacter
sickens more than 600,000 Americans every year with an annual cost of $1.2 million.

A
recent report “Ranking the Risks: the 10 Pathogen-Food Combinations with the
Greatest Burden on Public Health” has shown the top five leading foodborne
pathogens to be Campylobacter, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Toxoplasma
gonii and Norovirus. This
comprehensive ranking of pathogen-food combinations was published by
researchers at the University of Florida Emerging Pathogens Institute and is
the first of its kind for the United Sates. Additionally, the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) tracks infection rates of foodborne pathogens and reported
that in 2012 there was a 14 percent rise in the rate of Campylobacter as compared to the same period of 2006-2008.

So
what is Campylobacter? Campylobacter jejuni is a bacterium that
causes diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever. Symptoms normally occur within
two to five days after exposure to the organism. The most common sources of this
bacterium are raw and undercooked meat and poultry, raw milk and untreated
water. The infectious disease, campylobacteriosis, typically lasts about one
week. Campylobacter infection does
not usually cause death and some people who become infected never have any
symptoms. However, people with compromised immune systems may experience a serious
life-threatening infection.

Campylobacter is most common in the summer and
it only takes a few Campylobacter cells
(fewer than 500) to make a person sick. Even one drop of juice from raw chicken
can have enough Campylobacter in it to
infect a person! So, taking extra food safety precautions in the upcoming
months is advised. To help prevent this illness follow these steps:

Cook
all poultry products thoroughly. Make sure that the meat is cooked throughout
(no longer pink) and any juices run clear. All poultry should be cooked to a
minimum internal temperature of 165°F.

If
you are served undercooked poultry in a restaurant, send it back for further
cooking.

Wash
your hands with soap and warm water before preparing food. You should be
washing for 20 seconds to remove all contaminants from your hands.

Wash
hands with soap after handling raw foods of animal origin and before touching
anything else.

Prevent
cross-contamination in the kitchen by using separate cutting boards for foods
of animal origin and other foods and by thoroughly cleaning all cutting boards,
countertops, and utensils with soap and hot water after preparing raw food of
animal origin.

Do
not drink unpasteurized milk or untreated surface water.

Make
sure that anyone with diarrhea, especially children, washes their hands
carefully and frequently with soap to reduce the risk of spreading the
infection.

This information is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service is implied. All recommendations are for South Carolina conditions and may not apply to other areas. Use pesticides only according to the directions on the label. All recommendations for pesticide use are for South Carolina only and were legal at the time of publication, but the status of registration and use patterns are subject to change by action of state and federal regulatory agencies. Follow all directions, precautions and restrictions that are listed.

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